Veteran Cullinane leads Goleen to Carbery decider

Goleen 2-11 

Bantry Blues 0-9

TOM LYONS REPORTS

FORM is temporary, class is permanent and not for the first time the veteran full forward John Cullinane showed he is the class act with a pair of decisive goals for Goleen in the South West Rowa/Rowex junior B football semi-final in wet and wintry Ballydehob.

Cullinane’s goals came at vital stages, in the 17th minute against the wind to give his side a lead they were never to lose, and in the 35th minute to put the game outside Bantry’s reach.

Goleen, unlucky losers in the county B semi-final, laid the groundwork for this fine win when they not only held the Blues who were playing with a strong breeze, but actually led by four points at the break. 

‘We were disappointed with our loss in the county semi-final,’ admitted Goleen coach Gene O’Donovan, ‘But we were playing the final in our minds before we had won the semi and we paid for that. 

‘We learned our lesson and this time we concentrated completely on this semi-final against Bantry. The lads played good football tonight in poor conditions and that was the most important thing, that we play good football. The results will follow then.’

Only three points were registered in the first quarter, two for Goleen by Patrick Scully and Danny Cullinane and a single effort by David Power for Bantry. It was looking good for the peninsula men, against the strong breeze, even though the strong Gary Hurley equalised starting the second quarter.

Goleen struck the first major blow in the 17th minute when Sam Coughlan started a fine move that was finished to the net by the evergreen John Cullinane. Two further points by the impressive Patrick Scully sandwiched a Shane McCarthy point for the Blues and it was Goleen sitting pretty on a lead of 1-4 to 0-3 at half time.

Points by the two outstanding Cullinanes, Tadhg and John, stretched the lead to six. The clinching goal soon came, in the 35th minute, when a fierce attack on the Bantry goal saw John Cullinane bury a rebound in the net. Goleen led by nine now.

Goleen looked the better side as the points flowed from John Cullinane, Tadhg Cullinane, Padraig Reidy, Sam Coughlan and Darren O’Donovan.

To Bantry’s credit, they kept battling to the end with points from Eoghan Daly, Daniel Murray, Eoghan Minihane and Mark Keohane, but they never looked likely to score the goal they needed against a tough Goleen defence.

Scorers

Goleen: John Cullinane 2-2, Patrick Scully 0-3 (1f), Tadhg Cullinane 0-2, Patrick Reidy, Sam Coughlan, Darren O’Donovan, Danny Cullinane 0-1 each. 

Bantry Blues: Daniel Murray 0-3 (2f), Eoghan Minihane, Shane McCarthy, Gary Hurley, David Power, Eoghan Daly, Mark Keohane 0-1 each.

Goleen: Ronan Kennedy; Kieran O’Driscoll, Dan O’Callaghan, James Scully; Padraig Reidy, Daniel O’Driscoll, Shane O’Leary; David O’Leary, Tadhg Cullinane; San Coughlan, Darren O’Donovan, Sean Sheehan; Patrick Scully, John Cullinane, Danny Cullinane. 

Subs: Tom Fitzgerald for K O’Driscoll (27), David O’Farrell for S Sheehan (45), Andrew Murphy for D.Cullinane (48).

Bantry Blues: James Crowley; Shane Buckley, David O’Sullivan, Killian O’Sullivan; Ayrton O’Shea, Noel O’Flynn, Matthew Barry; Eoghan Minehane, Gary Hurley; Timmy O’Brien, Alan Keane, Eoghan Daly; Shane McCarthy, David Power, Daniel Murray. 

Subs: Gerdie Barry for M Barry (48), John Connolly for J Crowley (48), Mark Keohane for E Daly (55).

Referee: Michael Collins (Clonakilty).